These critical Astros positions, performances can keep fortune in Houston's favor

STONE COLD 'STROS

These critical Astros positions, performances can keep fortune in Houston's favor
We're thinking they're back! Composite Getty Image.

Coming off an impressive three-game sweep of the Orioles, the Astros finally look like they've turned a corner as they are only two games under .500 with the lowly Rockies coming to town for a two game set this week.

Houston's offense appears to be firing on all cylinders, and the insertion of Mauricio Dubon and Joey Loperfido in the everyday lineup seems to be paying huge dividends

Dubon has now started in fourteen straight games, and Loperfido has been in the lineup in every game since rejoining the team. Manager Joe Espada has done a nice job of riding the hot hand, and knowing when to give players a day off. Both Dubon and Lopefido should be penciled in the lineup regularly, at least until Kyle Tucker returns from injury.

Jeremy Pena is a perfect example of Espada seeing a player struggling and giving him a day off to help get him back on track. The results speak for themselves, as Pena was crushing baseballs over the weekend instead of swinging at sliders in the dirt.

And let's not forget to credit the pitching. Hunter Brown looks like a dominate top of the rotation starter, Ronel Blanco should be an All-Star, and Framber Valdez may have had his best performance of the season on Sunday.

It will be interesting to see how they navigate the starting rotation with only four healthy starters currently on the team. Justin Verlander reportedly still hasn't resumed baseball activities.

Shawn Dubin could also be an option should they need him to make a start. Hopefully, Luis Garcia will be ready to go in late July because the Astros have several pitchers that will be asked to throw more innings than ever before.

Addition by subtraction

It's hard not to notice how well the team has played with Jose Abreu out of the picture. The club is 7-2 since they parted ways with Abreu, and the squad has a much younger and more athletic feel with Loperfido and Dubon consistently playing.

While we certainly can't blame all the team's struggles on Abreu, they appear to be playing with a different energy now. Look no further than Loperfido's amazing catch in the first inning of the opener against Baltimore. That play ended up setting the tone for the entire series.

What should we expect from the red-hot 'Stros moving forward? Be sure to watch the video above to hear the full conversation!

Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Hunter Brown is on the hill for Houston. Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Astros will try to end a three-game losing streak when they take on the Minnesota Twins on Thursday afternoon at Target Field.

Both teams enter at 2-4 and will look to gain early-season momentum. Houston hands the ball to Hunter Brown (0-1, 3.00 ERA), who struck out seven in his season debut but took the loss. Minnesota counters with Joe Ryan (0-0, 1.80 ERA), who was sharp in his first outing, allowing just one run with five strikeouts.

Houston’s offense has struggled to find consistency, averaging just 3.0 runs per game during its losing streak. The Astros will look for a spark against a Twins pitching staff that posted a 4.27 ERA last season and has been solid early this year.

Minnesota, which finished 82-80 last year, relies on strong pitching and averaged 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 2023. The Twins also play well at home, going 43-38 at Target Field last season.

Houston hopes to get its bats going and avoid falling deeper into an early-season hole.

Here's a look at the lineup Joe Espada is rolling with in Game 1. Mauricio Dubon will make the start in center field over Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick, which makes sense considering Meyers and McCormick's struggles with the bat.

Meyers hasn't recorded a hit since Opening Day, and McCormick struck out three times in the finale versus the Giants. Victor Caratini will start over Yainer Diaz at catcher, giving Espada another left-handed bat in the lineup. Diaz only has two hits on the season, so maybe the team can find an offensive spark with Caratini. Brendan Rodgers will start at second base, with Dubon penciled in center field.

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